


War Heroes

by Kendrickhier



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: AU, Drinking, F/F, Holocaust, Mentions of Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-16 05:03:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11246865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kendrickhier/pseuds/Kendrickhier
Summary: General Danvers Week: Historical AUor a 'fuck you' to monolingualismSet during the second World War, Alex and Astra are both part of the Führer’s most trusted men, but things are not quite as they seem. General Astra doesn’t know Alex is a spy for the German resistance, and Alex, well, she doesn’t know anything about Astra, really, but all of that’s about to change.





	War Heroes

_BOOM!_

Her ears rang as a missile struck near the bunker for the umpteenth time, no less painful even now that she’d gotten used to hearing it time and time again. It didn’t matter now, none of it did, because it would soon be over, provided she did this right.

There was no time to dawdle, no time to slow down, her lungs burning as she continued running through the dusty halls of the bunker. This was a golden opportunity, a way to finally end this war for good and take down the reign of terror.

The Führer himself would move to a different location, and Alex knew the exact coordinates, as well as the route they would take. She only had to get this word out to the resistance as soon as humanly possible.

Preferably before they’d find out she was about to betray the Third Reich, and try to shoot her on sight.

Or worse, change their plans.

The hallways had never felt as long as they did now, every step feeling like a small eternity in its own right. It wasn’t uncommon for people to run down them, it certainly wasn’t the first time she did, but the sense of urgency seemed to slow time down rather than speed it up.

Almost there.

Just a few more paces.

Round the corner.

And there it was, the door to the radio room at the end of the corridor, on the right.

Finally.

She opened the door in a hurry, knowing no one was supposed to be here now, knowing exactly how this place operated by now. There should be no danger now, she could get the message out, and if she got caught then that was her price to pay.

Alex would gladly sacrifice her life if it meant the world would finally know peace again.

If it meant _Kara_ would be safe again.

She stepped through the door and closed it behind her, only to stop short when she saw a figure standing inside. The woman in front of her looked just as shocked as she felt, but recovered much quicker than Alex did.

It was to be expected, for the woman was none other than General Astra Insel. She worked closely with the Führer, even closer than Alex had managed to get in her time here. Out of everyone she seemed to be the most ruthless by far, suggesting to go the extra mile every time without fail. Not that they ever followed up on her cruel plans.

In fact, it always seemed to have the opposite effect, if anything.

It actually gave Alex pause at first, made her wonder if perhaps it was all an act to get him to soften, to make things more likely to fail, but that was impossible. Her body language indicated she was being nothing but honest about her cruelty, almost like she took a sick pleasure in imagining it.

“What business do you have here?” The General demands, her German as flawless as her own. Another reason why she couldn’t possibly be a spy; there wasn’t even a slight accent, it was nothing but perfect German. Granted, Alex couldn’t place what region she’d be from, but the country was too big for her to know every single one of them intimately. It wasn’t her area of expertise, body language was.

General Insel had been there during the meeting as well, but she’d left as soon as it was over, unlike Alex, who didn’t want to appear suspicious by bolting from the room. She had that small window to use for a believable lie, should it come to that.

Fact is, Astra being here is just as out of the ordinary as her own presence is, so instead Alex narrows her eyes at the woman. “I could ask you the same.”

She bristles at that, straightening her posture, and threateningly takes a few steps towards Alex, away from the transmitter. It’s hard not to be intimidated by this woman, power radiating off of her. Astra might not tower over her, but she sure feels like she does with this air that surrounds her. “Answer me.”

Alex stands her ground however, mimicking the stance and looking her dead in the eye. There are no messages to be sent out, she knows, save anything coming directly from the Führer. “I’ll answer you if I know you can be trusted.”

She takes another step closer, placing her in Alex’s personal space. “You dare suspect your General of treason?”

It’s only now that it hits Alex just how much of a terrible idea this is. She is challenging one of the highest ranking people in the bunker, the woman who is practically the Führers right hand, who is probably the least likely to be a traitor, in an attempt to divert the suspicion aimed at her.

Definitely not her brightest moment.

It’s too late to back down now, though. The damage has been done, Alex has no choice but to roll with it. “There is no reason for you to be here,” she insists.

But Astra doesn’t look the slightest bit shaken, her expression still as thunderous as before. “If you must know, I had a message from the Führer. Now state your business, _Captain_.”

Something twisted in her stomach at the reminder of their difference in power, and it almost made Alex miss the slight twitch of Astra’s eyes, a quick flicker towards the door. “You’re lying.”

There is no room for argument, it’s a conclusion. The conviction is enough to make Astra clench her jaw, which only further solidifies her suspicions. “How dare you,” she grounds out, but there is a slight waver when she starts.

There’s really no doubt in Alex’s mind now.

“Your German is impressive,” she comments, Alex moving closer to Astra this time and the woman taking a step back. When she notices, she continues backing Astra up to the transmitters, just because she can. “You’re not part of the resistance, so who then? The French?”

No visible response, nothing beyond annoyance.

Alex hums, “no… The British, perhaps?”

Again no response, but there’s something contemplating in her eyes, and Alex wonders if she’s thinking of using the cyanide that’s undoubtedly hidden in a tooth.

That won’t do.

Alex shakes her head; she’s poked the proverbial bear enough to make her point and gain enough leverage in this situation. “I won’t tell anyone if you let me send my message.” She cocks her head towards the transmitter with a raise of an eyebrow.

For a moment Astra looks like she isn’t sure what to do about this, a frown in place as she takes Alex in. Then she snorts and steps aside, moving to stand behind Alex and leaning in towards her ear. She whispers something in Russian, the sudden bemused harsh tones catching her by surprise, before Astra leaves the room.

It’s been a while since she’s brushed up on her Russian, but she thinks the words roughly translated to “see you on the other side, brave one.”

Alex isn’t sure what to make of that.

She shakes it off for now. There’s time to wonder about what transpired here later, for now she has to get this intel to the D.E.O. - the Deutsche Einspruch Organisation - she’s wasted enough time with having to ward off the General.

\-----

They did it.

They actually pulled it off.

At long last, the war was over. With less than 12 hours to prepare an attack she’d expected it to possibly be chaotic, for the resistance to be low on supplies, or something fatal going wrong and ruining things just enough for the German forces to overpower them.

But miraculously everything had gone smoothly.

It had been the D.E.O. to show up first, or at least a part of them. A scouting team hidden in the bushes and trees, relaying the information on the vehicles and men present. Alex was positive she was the only one who spotted them, thankfully.

She herself had been in the back of the four vehicles, not quite as close to the Führer as she would have liked to be - not as close as Astra was, the both of them cozy in the third - but close enough to keep an eye on everything.

It was about half a mile later that all hell broke loose, and this time it hadn’t just been the resistance: the Russians came in blazing too.

(Astra’d smirked at her when they did, and Alex still isn’t sure what to make of that, or her.)

In the end it had almost been easy to take them down, as small a group as they’d opted to travel in. The opposite of Astra’s suggestion, actually, who’d suggested to have as many troops with them as they could to mow down any enemies that spotted them. The Führer himself had decided to go for a stealthy smaller group instead, minimizing the risk of casualties.

Specifically, the risk of his own life.

A decision that had backfired, clearly, when the lack of defense was what had caused him to be exposed. Even more so because Astra had been right next to him, keeping him at gunpoint throughout the whole endeavor.

Perhaps her cruelty hadn’t been completely faked as she’d made him watch his men get slaughtered.

The Russians had taken care of him from there, each party going their separate ways. She wasn’t sure what exactly they had in store for the disgraced man, but she’d managed to catch the words ‘public execution’ and decided they’d find out what happened soon enough.

And now?

Now they were celebrating.

After months of being in the bunker, of hiding behind enemy lines, Alex was just relieved to be back with her people. Tomorrow she’d be able to go home and finally hug her little sister again, finally providing her with the safety she’d promised to bring, but it was far too late for that tonight.

There was drinking and dancing, and music echoing through the place they’d rented. They could spare the expenses now for this one night.

People came up to Alex to thank her for what she’d done, and while the recognition was nice, she couldn’t bring herself to be too thrilled. It felt like something was off, like something was missing, she just couldn’t place what it was.

It was over, wasn’t it?

So then why didn’t she feel ecstatic?

She was hardly paying attention when person number God-knows-how-many came over with their gratitude, going on autopilot while nursing her glass of scotch.

Maybe a drink would loosen her up; it certainly hadn’t hurt before.

When the person in front of her spoke, she nearly threw her drink on accident. The harsher syllables of Russian pronounced by a voice that Alex had gotten quickly familiar with on this long day; Astra. She didn’t have to look to confirm it, but wide eyes shot towards her regardless. “What are _you_ doing here, General?”

“Same as you, Captain: celebrating our victory,” Astra answers easily, matching her with German once again. “And please, call me Astra.”

“Alex,” she replies simply. “Aren’t you supposed to be celebrating with your own people, Astra?”

A smirk. “I’d rather be with more… desirable company.” There is no mistaking the tone this time, and if the words aren’t enough, the way Astra rakes her eyes over Alex’s body certainly is.

That certainly explains the earlier exchanges; she’d been _flirting_ with Alex.

Rather bold after the Führer’s stance on homosexuality, a stance too many had adopted from there on out, if they hadn’t been thinking it already.

After a prolonged silence, Astra looks away and towards the joyful masses instead. “You didn’t answer my earlier question.”

It takes Alex a few seconds to figure out she’s referring to the Russian she’s spoken earlier, and another second to remember what she’d asked in the first place: whether or not the seat next to her had been taken.

Alex gestures towards the seat with her glass, replying in heavily German-accented Russian, “join me.”

There’s a genuine smile playing around Astra’s lips as she takes her seat, continuing in her own language. “So you do speak Russian.”

“Just enough,” Alex replies, keeping her answer short as she’s feeling entirely out of her depth. Her mid-teens interest in the language had been brief but obsessive, ending up with basic knowledge of it without ever having need to use it. Well, until the war started, and suddenly this rusty basic knowledge could be used as an asset.

Alex switches back to German when she continues. “Where did you learn to speak German so well? I don’t hear any trace of an accent.”

“Long story.”

“We have all night.”

Astra worries her lower lip as she seems to consider this. “Alright, how about this. If you speak the language, you get to hear the story.”

She grins, “sounds good to me.”

“I used to live here,” she starts in English, raising an eyebrow at Alex in question, who simply nods in response. Astra takes a deep breath at that, steeling herself before she continues. “My parents came here when I was a baby. German was a necessity to pick up on, but they taught me Russian at home. Good thing too, because the authorities deported us when we- when I was a teenager.”

“We?”

She worries her lip again, before sighing. “I had a twin sister. She never came home that day.”

Alex frowns. “Did you ever hear from her again?”

Astra looks away, down at the bar next to her, as she shakes her head. “Now you see why I’d rather not think about it.” She’s speaking German again, as if to conclude this particular topic of conversation, before she looks back at Alex.

She does understand now, she can’t even imagine what that must be like. If Alex lost her little sister that way, not knowing what happened to her, it would break her; being apart from her for this long was hard enough as is. Still, she can’t help but tease Astra a little, hoping it’ll lighten up the mood. “Should have picked a more difficult language then.”

Astra, for her part, seems to appreciate the effort. “I suppose I could have anticipated this.” There’s a small smile gracing her lips as she speaks, like she did anticipate it, like this was part of the plan all along. “Your turn. What made you join the resistance?”

“Same deal: you speak the language, you get the story.” Alex doesn’t hesitate to pick up her glass of scotch and empty it when Astra nods, her own way of bracing herself. “My family is jewish,” she says, the words in French, and she knows the moment they leave her lips that picking this language was a surefire way to have to share the story.

To her credit, Astra only looks surprised for a second or so before she schools her face into something more neutral. There’s no pity, despite the two of them having seen the horrors of this war up close, and Alex appreciates that.

At Astra’s nod, she continues. “My father was taken early on and my mother was smart enough to recognize trouble when she sees it, so we hid. We had a few close calls, and they almost got me once when I tried to get them away from my little sister. She’s is the reason I joined, to protect her.” Alex pauses, staring at her empty glass longingly. “My father might still be out there too.”

She wanted him to be, but she didn’t know if she dared to hope for it. Losing him once was bad, and Alex isn’t sure how well she’d deal with finding out he was killed when there was hope he’d be alive and well, or as well as one could be after being put in a labor camp.

Her stomach still churned at the memory of the camps she’d seen, and the thought that her father probably suffered the same fate.

A soft hand on her leg shook her out of her thoughts, drawing her back to the present- Astra, specifically. Alex looks between her and her hand, until Astra withdraws in favor of ordering them a new drink.

Vodka.

Something Alex accepts graciously and immediately takes a hearty sip of, sighing at the welcome burn in her throat. A drink really did work wonders at times.

They continued talking about lighter topics from that point forward, learning things about each other and generally bonding and growing closer to each other. If you’d told Alex she’d be making nice with the (former) Führer’s right hand a year ago, she would have laughed and probably punched you in the face, but things are never quite as simple as they seem.

A silence fell after they’d finally stopped laughing at the latest recollection of dumb things that happened in their lives. Astra looks at her with such open and undiluted adoration, Alex isn’t entirely sure what to do with it, but she can’t say she minds, at all.

She fails to notice that she’s smiling like a lovestruck teenager at Astra, too.

Astra licks her lips and her gaze flickers downwards briefly, before a sigh leaves her lips. “Ik zou je graag willen zoenen.”

Alex blinks. “What?”

She smirks, but the usual amusement that comes with it lacks, dampened by what Alex can only guess is disappointment. “No Dutch?”

Alex shakes her head: while she could guess what the majority of those words meant, the language being very close to her native one, there was at least one word that didn’t make sense to her, one of them being a key word of that sentence. Astra wants to do something to her, but she has no idea what ‘zoenen’ means.

But the way Astra is looking at her now leaves little to the imagination, and she can hazard a guess. Alex licks her lips in anticipation when Astra leans closer to her.

“Then I’ll have to show you,” Astra breathes, and Alex doesn’t pull away, so she closes the rest of the distance and presses her lips to Alex’s and kisses her.

For a moment there, Alex fears she might fall off her stool, because this, this is what she’s been missing out on all this time, and has she ever been missing out. During those moments she’d wondered what it would be like, what kissing a woman would be like, she’d never imagined it to be so good, that it would make her feel so many things.

That there would be this pleasant sensation in her stomach, that butterfly feeling that people always talked about but she’d never experienced.

That her head would begin to swim and that there’s be nothing else on her mind than what was happening in the moment, that she’d get so lost in all the sensations.

That she’d never want it to end.

That she could drown in this, something she’d quite happily have done had Astra not pulled back to let the both of them breathe for a moment. A moment that didn’t last long, for Alex brought their lips back together.

Maybe the world wasn’t a tolerable place for this, and maybe a lot of things still had to be done to restore things after this war- no, not maybe, there was definitely a lot to be done that would take a lot of time, and she still had to figure out what happened to her father, for better or for worse.

But here in this moment with Astra, Alex feels like everything will turn out just fine in the end.


End file.
